Trailer hitches including a hitch ball for connecting a towing vehicle to a trailer have long been known in the art. Examples of such are disclosed in a number of patents including, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,856 to Reese, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,006 to Goode et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,837 to Reese, U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,601 to Lindahl et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,867 to Kass et al.
Most hitch balls are either directly mounted to (1) a draw bar or (2) a ball mount head carried on a hitch bar by means of a threaded mounting shank and cooperating locking-nut or nut and lock washer. More specifically, the threaded mounting shank extends through an aperture in the draw bar/ball mount head and the locking nut or nut and locking washer combination are snugly tightened against the draw bar/ball mount head to secure the trailer hitch ball in position. While this provides a very adequate connection, many individuals are frustrated when the hitch ball rotates in the hitch ball receiver when attempting to tighten the securing nut. When this occurs, it is not possible to complete the tightening operation unless tools are employed to hold the hitch ball and prevent its rotation.
A need is therefore identified for an improved structural arrangement whereby a hitch ball may be secured against rotation relative to the hitch ball receiver during installation and connection of the fastener to the stem of the hitch ball.